Tuesday, November 30, 2004

This picture was taken at Gotham Comedy Club in NYC Thanksgiving Eve. It was a Latino showcase. And yes, latinos come in that color. Although some of the jokes were in Spanish, I found it funny how much I can still relate to them; especially ones dealing with family. I guess Asian and Hispanic cultures share some common cultural ground - both are heavily family oriented. Read more [+/-]

In highschool, most of my friends were latino, and I assimilated easily (nickname, Chino-latino); like learning the drama between Puerto Ricans and Dominicans (God help you if you call one the other!). I was also invited to family get-togethers at their two-family house in Brooklyn inhabited also by 20 extended family members; where basement salsa parties and rum cake were in abundance (so was rum.. ah.. puerto rican rum).

So even though I didn't know exactly what they said, I knew what they meant.. and it was funny.

I then went to Chelsea Brewery over by Chelsea Piers on the west side. After 1 hour of boring nothingness, I headed over to Exit. That's where I met this cutie to the right - she was the nicest, cutest bartender that night. That could have just been my drunk impression of her, and for all I know, she could have really been a bitch. She didn't give me any free water ($5 a bottle!?), but she did hook me up with a cup of ice. And she let a drunk idiot take a picture with her.

Black FridayThanksgiving went by fine. Black Friday was a nightmare. I took this shot EZPassing through a towle toll booth on my way to Jersey Gardens.. at 4:30 in the morning! After that, we went to Woodbury (Outlet Mall) for more shopping!

That is the last time I'll believe my sister when she says that Black Friday is the best time to go to Great Adventure (that is, until next year). But I must admit, it was nice (and strange) to be the only customer in a huge mall.

Who the Hell is Ted Baker...

...and why'd he charge me $400 for this coat?

Last but not least, I've been looking for a toggle coat FOREVER! I finally found one from Ted Baker at Bloomingdales when they had some sort of Men's Designer Clothing Sale a few weeks back. Original price was $895, so I guess it was a good deal. I guess it's back to Wendy's dollar menu for the rest of December.

Monday, November 29, 2004

Firstly, I'm happy to find out that this was indeed a hoax and that he's not hurt.

Secondly, even though this scenerio was a hoax, there is someone, somewhere who is a victim of a hate crime. Please continue to educate others on tolerance so that we can reduce the number of hate crimes.

Thirdly, change your passwords frequently! And since you can't do that on your own.. let me give you some pointers:
1. Mix letters and numbers; add a number into your current password (avoid birth year or age!). Try 'Number of orgies before the age of 20':
ex: pa22ssword or pass22word

2. Mix upper- and lowercase. Passwords are case-sensitive. Do as many letters as you can remember:
ex: pass22worD or PASS22WORd

4. Have seperate passwords for different accounts. Make them related, but not in an obvious way:
ex: Kill22Bill for banks, Kill23Blog for blogs, Kill23Jane for email

Don't worry, you WILL remember your changes to passwords. If not, there are always the forgot password links - so make sure the password for your email is the safest!

Finally, I'd like to say that I don't blame Sebastian for the hoax. Nor do I feel 'cheated'. I felt sad/upset when I found out that he could have been a victim of the hate crime, and whether it was a hoax or not doesn't matter. For those of you who felt 'cheated' after you found out it was a hoax, you're weren't cheated my friends. I know I don't feel 'stupid' or 'dumb' for feeling sympathy toward a victim of a hate crime, neither should you. You were lied to, but not by Sebastian. It would be a different story otherwise.

Now be happy and convince Sebastian to change his password and continue to contribute to the world of blogging!

Thursday, November 25, 2004

This Thanksgiving has been especially special to me. My family gathered together at the same place as last year. We had turkey, potatoes, and all the fixin's like last year. We sat around and did a lot of nothing like last year.

But I'm different than last year. Me. This year has been a year of extremes for my life; from getting laid off, to having unforgettable trips, to visiting old friends and meeting new ones (in the 'real' world and what is refered to as the 'blogosphere'), to volunteering, and meeting my favorite author.

I've grown from these experiences, and I'm thankful. Extremely thankful.

I've noticed in my (short) lifetime that it's hard for people to say 'Thank you'. They feel proud and self-reliant, as if it is an admission to weakness or helplessness. It's not. You should always say Thank you. These two little words show your appreciation of someone's help, and make it will make them feel good about helping you. Say them sincerely and say it often. Why? Because it's free.

So Thank You to those of you out there that have contributed to this life. I want you to know, I appreciate it.

Monday, November 22, 2004

The second installment of Augusten Burroughs' Magical Thinking reading at Coliseum Books in NYC on Nov. 11th. Sorry, I still haven't figured out how to rotate the stupid video.

Listen in awe as he explains how he tortures a little poor animal. In his own words, "Isn't that how serial killers start out?"

Disclaimer: I hold no liability for any injuries that result from watching the video. Watch at your own risk.

Admission of an Obession

This picture was taken during the Magical Thinking kick-off book tour at the Union Square Barnes and Nobles. See that sweatshirt I'm wearing? I wore that on purpose because he was wearing it on one of his book jackets (Dry). I thought, "Hey! If I wear this, he'll recognize it and I'll be special!" And then at the book signing, horror struck me as I realized that other people might recognize it and label me as the "crazy same-sweatshirt-wearing fan".

But who cares?? He noticed it! "I have that same sweatshirt.." he said to me as I continued to blabber incoherently. I think I said 'Thanks' (what kind of response is that?!). Why didn't I just say "Cool", or "Really?", or what I really wanted: "I know! We have the same taste, now we can be BFFs!" (That means Best Friends Forever!).

Oh no, my obessive behavior didn't stop there. Being totally disappointed in myself for acting like a mute, I was determined to go to a second reading, and make myself stand out even more! And what can make you stand out more than an inspired piece of fan paraphernalia?

That's right kids! I took my artistic skills to the next level with this piece of work. Notice the way 'NERD ALERT' is all capital. I printed this out on my photographic-style printer, and it came out all glossy and nice, like a postcard. If I became mute in his presence again, at least I could still throw this at him before running away.

When it was my turn during this second book signing, I still became partially-mute, despite all my self-encouraging prep talks to myself. When I gave him the postcard he immediately remembered me! "Oh yea! The sweatshirt guy! I remember you." That was awesome. (If you look at the picture, you can see the postcard on the bottom right!)

When I got home that night, I emailed him hoping to further our 'relationship'. Within a few days, he replied! Mission accomplished. We are SO like BFF now.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

So that's the verdict... but I still ask myself: Is it discrimination or preference (what they call selling an image)? Afterall, in the world of fashion, you're as likely to find a 5'2" stocky, black female model walking down the runway for Calvin Klien as a smart, sane voter in Ohio (ouch!). Hmm.. I wonder how this will affect their catalogue - they seemed to have already stopped their popular skank-xxx material (which I loved btw).

Throughout highschool (and college), I've always wanted to work for A&F. What could be better than getting paid to look pretty while folding a washed-out, overpriced t-shirt? Have customer oogle at you while throwing a football, or panties, over the throphy moose head. I knew I belonged there: the elusive group of hot, muscular guys indifferent to customers and lack any sense of customer service.

Problem was I was a lanky asian boy with glasses. I wasn't hot (but I was cute); I wasn't muscley (but I was fit), and I wasn't white (but I was yellow... wait..) Because of this, my application was probably placed at the bottom of the pile. So I did what anyone with low self-esteem being rejected from their dream job would do in my situation... I got hotter (with my new hairstyle and a spanking new pair of glasses), I got more muscular (okay, I didn't), and I got hired by Banana Republic and J.Crew.

Monday, November 15, 2004

As I mentioned previously, I attended my second Augusten Burroughs reading this past Thursday. This time he read "Rat/Thing"; one of my favorite stories from his newest book, Magical Thinking!! Needless to say, I was giddy all night.

I was also considerate enough to record the reading so that those of you who missed it can still experience it live! Lucky you! However, the result is a little... awkward. Unlucky you.

Disclaimer: I hold no liability for any injuries that result from watching the video. Watch at your own risk.

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Okay, so maybe I have some sort of obsession.. like you never dressed like someone and stalked them to every book signing you could realistically attend. At least I admit it! [self-incriminating photo soon to come?]

And for the record, this will only be his second book signing I'm attending. So there.

Monday, November 08, 2004

Things that made me smile:
- Going to the prom with D - 80's style!
- The Incredibles- Star-gazing: Moby and Mike Myers- Having brunch next to Mena Suvari and having a wonderful conversation
- a delicious vegan turkey sandwich
- lemon cupcakes and banana pudding

I was really sad to learn about the student's suicide. I think it's noble to die for what you believe in; but without a note behind, we can only guess his motive. However, killing yourself doesn't really solve any problems. So to everyone out there, don't do that. You're more effective when you're alive anyway.

Friday, November 05, 2004

There's always a silver lining, even though you might feel you're buried 6 feet under, in a casket, beneath a plateau, on which war-mongering, homophobic fanatics dance around a fire and participate in homo-erotic acts like the self-hating fags they are. You might not see it, but it's there.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Rant: When I heard the news that Kerry conceded, my stomach clenched. I could hardly focus at work - I also couldn't stop refreshing other people's blogs. Four more years? Supreme Court Justices last longer than four years. So do laws and constitutional amendments. They can outlast lives!

What on earth are people thinking? How can this country, built on the ideals of freedom, elect a leader who doesn't believe in these ideals? Rebirth of Christianity? Didn't they teach you separation between church and state? As I remember, this religion isn't the best suited for tolerance either (umm.. The Crusades and missionaries?) - how can this leader bring peace to an Islamic part of the world? Better yet, how can he give them freedom when he's taking it away in his own country?

We're no longer voting for the leader of the United States, we're voting for a leader who has power to affect the world.

I propose that we draft all the people who voted for Bush, go fight for your commander in chief, American.

End Rant.

Okay, tomorrow is another day. The sun will still shine. This country is still our country. We have the duty and right to make it better. There will be good days and bad days. The most important thing to remember is to stand for what you believe in. Stand tall, stand proud, keep up the good fight. I know I will.

Monday, November 01, 2004

As the full moon rises over the metropolis, its inhabitants begin to transform into the wicked, the evil, the debauched. How I love Halloween in New York City.

I went to work on Friday wearing the yellow ruffled shirt I bought at the tag sale - though I didn't wear my full vampire costume. There was a company party, but I didn't attend because I felt uncomfortable, even though my supervisor didn't _not_ say I couldn't attend; such is the life of a consultant.

I had plans later anyway, "Pimps & Hos" costume party at the Roxy! Diana and I got dressed up:

I was trying to achieve the "I-Eat-My-Whores Pimp" look, you think I got it? Diana looked like a whore, no matter what century she said she was from (she was going for 18th century debutante or something). What I loved best about Friday was the stares I got walking down the street. "You can stop staring now. I know it's Friday and not Halloween; but some of us have parties to attend."

I'll refrain from berating the Roxy party.

Saturday was a rest day. After tutoring the 4th graders, I dragged Min and my sister towards Orchard towards this bakery which I couldn't remember the name of. I also couldn't remember the location either. All I remembered was that it was opened by people from Magnolia's. So that was going to be fun: exploring the city!

After a pitstop in Economy Candy, we ran into Sugar Sweet Sunshine. My god, these cupcakes are AMAZING. I had pumpkin with cream cheese icing - I had to stop myself from eating the wrapper. Dare I say it's better than Magnolia's? You gotta try it.

Later that night, I went to the movies with Ramin & Co. Team America is the funniest movie I've seen in a while. (Huckabees is a different kind of funny.) What else can you say about a movie with puppet copulation, regurgitation, and condensation? I nearly had an aneurism during the vomit scene. My friend said it was a subliminal GOP advert disguised as a movie. I disagree.

Sunday was Halloween! I signed up as a volunteer at the American Museum of Natural History for their Annual Halloween Celebration. I decided I couldn't be the same pimp in front of young children - plus I was definitely not going to put on all that makeup again (I don't know how you women do it every day). So instead, I dressed up as a cowboy!

Whatcha think? Disturbing fact: I owned everything I needed for this costume. Yes, even the stetson and snakeskin belt.

The event at the museum was HUGE! There were bands, performers, cartoon characters walking around, a whole bunch of candy givers and activities that the kids could do. I helped pass out Spooky BOOkmarks and crayons to little kids so they could color them; way to go AMNH - subliminally promote reading! Check out my phatty coloring skillz:

The kids were having such a fun time that I didn't want to dampen their spirits by warning them if they actually used a 'colored' bookmark, the colors will most likely rub off on the pages - ruining their books forever. Oh well, I guess they'll find out sooner or later. There was also a pumpkin carver and his apprentice. They were incredibly talented. The T-Rex was my favorite.